Here, celebrating the 20th anniversary of its debut as a New York Times best seller, is the revised, updated, and expanded edition of the classic anti-textbook that changed the way we look at history. First published two decades ago, when the “closing of the American mind” was in the headlines, Don’t Know Much About® History proved Americans don’t hate history—just the dull version that was dished out in school.

Don't Know Much about the Bible: Everything You Need to Know About the Good Book but Never Learned

Bringing to life the world of the Old and New Testaments, the acclaimed creator of the bestselling Don’t Know Much About® series transforms dry, difficult reading into colorful and realistic accounts. Relying on new research and improved translations, Kenneth C. Davis uncovers some amazing questions and contradictions about what the Bible really says: Jericho’s walls may have tumbled down because the city lies on a fault line; Moses never parted the Red Sea; There was a Jesus, but he wasn’t born on Christmas and he probably wasn't an only child....

Don't Know Much About Geography: Revised and Updated Edition

Kenneth C. Davis, author of Don't Know Much About® History, Don't Know Much About the Civil War and Don't Know Much About the Bible, turns his inimitable wit and wide-ranging knowledge to the subject of geography, and proves once and for all that there is a lot more to it than labeling countries on a map. From often amusing perceptions people have had through the ages about the world and the universe to the changing map of today, Davis shows how geography is really a great crossroad of many fields: biology, meteorology, astronomy, history, economics, and even politics.

Don't Know Much About Mythology: Everything You Need to Know About the Greatest Stories in Human History but Never Learned

Ever familiar and instructive, Davis shows why the ancient tales of gods and heroes, from Mount Olympus to Machu Picchu, from ancient Rome to the icy land of the Norse, continue to speak to us today, in our movies, art, language, and music. For mythology novices and buffs alike, and for anyone who loves a good story, Don't Know Much About Mythology is a lively and insightful look into the greatest stories ever told.

For more than 20 years since his New York Times best-seller Don't Know Much About History first appeared, Davis has shown that Americans don't hate history, just the dull version dished out in school. Now Davis turns his attention to what is arguably the most important and most fascinating subject in American history: our presidents. From the heated debates over executive powers through the curious election of George Washington in 1789 and, for more than 200 years, up through the meteoric rise of Barack Obama, the presidency has been at the heart of American history.

Don't Know Much About the Civil War: Everything You Need to Know About America's Greatest Conflict but Never Learned

Millions of Americans, bored by dull textbooks, are in the dark about the most significant event in our history. Now New York Times bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis comes to the rescue, deftly sorting out the players, the politics, and the key events—Emancipation and Reconstruction, Shiloh and Gettysburg, Generals Grant and Lee, Harriet Beecher Stowe—and much more.

The Unknown Universe: A New Exploration of Time, Space and Cosmology

On March 21, 2013, the European Space Agency released a map of the afterglow of the big bang. Taking in 440 sextillion kilometers of space and 13.8 billion years of time, it is physically impossible to make a better map: We will never see the early universe in more detail. On the one hand, such a view is the apotheosis of modern cosmology; on the other, it threatens to undermine almost everything we hold cosmologically sacrosanct.

The Universe: Leading Scientists Explore the Origin, Mysteries, and Future of the Cosmos

In The Universe, today's most influential science writers explain the science behind our evolving understanding of The Universe and everything in it, including the cutting-edge research and discoveries that are shaping our knowledge. Lee Smolin reveals how math and cosmology are helping us create a theory of the whole universe. Neil Turok analyzes the fundamental laws of nature, what came before the big bang, and the possibility of a unified theory. And much more.

Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier

With his signature wit and thought-provoking insights, Neil deGrasse Tyson - one of our foremost thinkers on all things space - illuminates the past, present, and future of space exploration and brilliantly reminds us why NASA matters now as much as ever. As Tyson reveals, exploring the space frontier can profoundly enrich many aspects of our daily lives, from education systems and the economy to national security and morale.

Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad

On August 5, 1942, giant pillars of dust rose over the Russian steppe, marking the advance of the 6th Army, an elite German combat unit dispatched by Hitler to capture the industrial city of Stalingrad and press on to the oil fields of Azerbaijan. The Germans were supremely confident; in three years, they had not suffered a single defeat. The Luftwaffe had already bombed the city into ruins. German soldiers hoped to complete their mission and be home in time for Christmas.

Don't Know Much About American History

In his trademark question-and-answer style, Davis introduces our ancestors who settled the East and expanded the West, as well as those who had been living here all along. His sure touch brings the drama and excitement of the American story vividly to life.

Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution

Origins explains the soul-stirring leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. From the first image of a galaxy birth to Spirit rover's exploration of Mars, to the discovery of water on one of Jupiter's moons, coauthors Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith conduct a galvanizing tour of the cosmos with clarity and exuberance.

Learn how to evaluate the timing of future possibilities and discuss what the astrology suggests in support, or not, of one's plans. Learn how to analyze the measurements into a cohesive whole. Strengthen your predictive technique, gain confidence and improve your communication skills. People consult astrologers to relieve preoccupation and gain clarity about their current situation and plans for the near future. In this study guide, Lauren Delsack takes you through four in-depth consultations.

Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind

Less than fifty thousand years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as "the greatest riddle in human history," all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers.

The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality

Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past?

The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself

Already internationally acclaimed for his elegant, lucid writing on the most challenging notions in modern physics, Sean Carroll is emerging as one of the greatest humanist thinkers of his generation as he brings his extraordinary intellect to bear not only on the Higgs boson and extra dimensions but now also on our deepest personal questions. Where are we? Who are we? Are our emotions, our beliefs, and our hopes and dreams ultimately meaningless out there in the void?

Astrology: Teach Me Everything I Need to Know About Astrology in 30 Minutes

This short audiobook on Astrology is your perfect bedside companion that can enable you to discover your true self and help you decide on a perfect companion and career. It will also provide you answers on why your relationship is at a stage where it is - could be high or low!

My Favorite Universe

What forces molded the universe? Are those forces still at work, removing, changing, or adding heavenly bodies even as we gaze upward? Will humanity, and Earth itself, one day be gone? Are we alone? In an era when science journalism is perhaps more thorough and ambitious than ever before, fascinating explorations of questions like these seem available to us almost every day - provided we have a working understanding of the scientific theories on which they're based.

Publisher's Summary

From the ancients who charted the stars, to Jules Verne and Flash Gordon, to The X-Files, Apollo 13, and Armageddon, people through the ages have been intrigued with the heavens and outer space. And yet so many of us look up at the night sky and have to admit that we are totally in the dark when it comes to the most basic facts about the heavens.

Into the void steps Kenneth C. Davis with the latest addition to his best selling and critically acclaimed Don't Know Much About® series. Don't Know Much About the Universe is a lively and clear guide to the discoveries, theories, and real people that have shaped space exploration from the beginning of civilization to the present.

From a historical overview of man's fascination with space to a guided tour of our solar system and beyond, Kenneth Davis seeks, as always, to entertain as he teaches. He looks at issues that go beyond the bounds of simple "Science 101" and asks the kinds of questions we may have wanted to ask back in school but didn't have the nerve: Who dug those canals on Mars? Is a "blue moon" really blue? What does astronomy have to do with astrology? Will we end with a bang or a whimper?

Kenneth Davis has taught us about history, geography, the Civil War, and the Bible. Now he reaches for the heavens and proves once again that learning can be fun.

This is another one in a series of books for those of us who had boring teachers in middle school. It gives an interesting informative presentation on the universe. Even if you listened in school 30 years ago there is enough new discoveries to make this a good listen.

I typically enjoy learning about most anything. Unfortunatly, a large part of this book was just difficult to listen to. The narrater reads, obviously, everything. So we are stuck listening to distances in miles and then in kilometers. We listen to all of the enries in a table that probably are interesting in the text, but are almost useless to listen to. I found the timelines a bit rough as well. I imagine that the book itself comes off much better.

On the flip side, this does provide a nice overview of the solar sytem and the universe, and the scientific achievements that have helped us to understand it.

I give it only two stars because it scores low in its ability to keep me awake during my commute.

If I were just beginning to explore the topic, this would have been a good program for me. If you've done extensive reading on the topic, this is not the program for you -- nothing new. Some cute references to our '60s & '70s adolecent reactions to dry science "education" such as the highlight of biology class when the teacher accidentally explodes the bunson burner -- hehe.

This is a nice way to start if you are interested in astronomy. This is not a book for someone looking for deep technical science. This is simply a nice overview for those of us with a general interest in science and astronomy. There has been another book published recently that I also recommend, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. It also tries to boil down complex science into something the casual reader can understand.

I?m sure since Kenneth Davis wrote this book some people will try to accuse him of putting a liberal spin on the Universe. Ignore people like that who learn everything they know from Rush Limbaugh and read interesting books like this for yourself.

The only reason I gave this book 2 stars is that the information is technically there, but it's very tough to get through. The author's jokes are beyond condescending. He tells them like a kindergarten teacher who never notices that the children aren't laughing. Add to that the bizarrely out of place social commentaries (such as Ronald Reagan's foreign policy decisions). It's just too much to put up with.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and plan to enjoy it again sometime. The treatment of faith and science is balanced and fair without forcing a position on the listener or reader. This subject of the universe could well be the most important area of discovery known to man. All of us have our own special time in the generations and the grasp of our generations understanding of this unending adventure. "Don't Know Much About the Universe" gives a good foundation to continue the quest with a little more understanding.

I found this book to contain very little regarding the universe. The author spent most of the time discussing mythology and the history of astronomy. He is very repetative. He also spent much time discribing the development of space travel. About 10 minutes of this book deals with anything outside the solor system. I am sorry I wasted my money on it.

I highly recommend this book for anyone new to the field of astronomy. This book helped me fill in the gaps that I have in my knowledge of astronomy and cosmology. I will probably listen to this one many times over!